A modern feature of the Internet is that many Internet service providers, publishers, and social networks provide user accounts. These user accounts allow users to exchange communications inside the network or with other networks or services. This is a feature that is useful and important to the overall marketability and usability of the service. However, some users obtain accounts with the intent to engage in malicious or unwarranted activity. Unsolicited mail accounts, or spam accounts, are used to direct advertisements and online marketing promotions to users who have not expressed any interest in the product, nor have asked to be put on a general product mailing list. It is a difficult and time consuming task to distinguish these anomalous accounts from valid accounts with similar features.
As used herein, the term “Internet account” refers to, generally, user accounts provided by a service provider. Internet accounts may include, for example, e-mail accounts, web site access accounts, comment systems for articles, reviews for music, video and graphics, information feeds, or other material. Also as used herein the term “internet service provider” refers, generally, to a provider of Internet services over a communication network, such as the Internet. For example, an internet service provider may provide an account which includes access to content (e.g., articles, discussion threads, music, video, graphics, information feeds, web sites, etc.), and the ability to contact other members of the service or a different service. In another example, a publisher may provide a message sending service. In yet another example, a service provider grants access to a social network web site.
The term “anomalous account” refers, generally, to an account which is engaged in actions that constitute a violation of the terms and conditions of the Internet Service, or that is engaged in unwarranted, disruptive, abusive, or other actions or activities contrary to proposed usage guidelines, rules or laws. Non-limiting examples of anomalous accounts are spam email accounts, spam member accounts, fraudulent social network accounts.